A garment for wearing around a person's waist is constructed from multiple pieces of a garment fabric. The pieces are joined together along seams of the garment, for example, side seams, a front seam and a rear seam, all of which intersect a waist section of the garment. Usually, each seam at the waist section is closed by sewing together the pieces of the garment fabric. Accordingly, the closed seams at the waist section provide the waist section with a fixed girth. It would be advantageous for a garment to have a waist section that can be expanded or contracted for fitting different waist sizes, for example, a person whose waist size changes, or for adapting the waist section to fit persons having different waist sizes. Further, it would be advantageous for a garment to have a waist section that can progressively expand for accommodating waist size changes that occur throughout different stages of pregnancy, and that can progressively contract for accommodating waist size changes subsequent to giving birth, and during a time period during which reductions in body weight occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,910 discloses a garment with an elastic band that extends through a tubular casing at the waist section of the garment. A free end of the elastic band is selectively attachable to respective fasteners that are spaced apart along the waist section of the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,730 discloses a V-shaped, insert panel to cover an opening that is present upon unbuttoning a button-fly of a jeans garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,358 discloses a garment having a gathered waist section that is held in a gathered position by miniature hook and loop fasteners.